Simulator Training for Employees in the Field of Production: A Robert Bosch Gasoline Systems Case Articles uri icon

publication date

  • January 2013

start page

  • 1377

end page

  • 1386

issue

  • 6

volume

  • 29

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0949-149X

abstract

  • As a result of market globalization and increasing demand of products, companies have to improve their production processes and modify their operations to adjust to changes and be competent. This context is being steadily accentuated in the manufacturing sector, where many companies are conducting research on formative methods that allow engineers and operators, whether newly hired or transferred from other plants of the company, reach the standard production level quickly, thereby achieving and maintaining the necessary level of market competitiveness. In this paper, we introduce a case of formative software development at the Robert Bosch Gasoline Systems Company (Aranjuez, Spain) that has just begun the implementation of a Lean Transformation project, performed in order to standardise production according to their global benchmarks and thereby improve the productivity of the filter manufacturing lines. During a previous evaluation of production lines, we decided that cultivating employees based on parameters of machine management and the knowledge of their influence on the final product is the key area of concern since it significantly influences production losses and the productivity indicator of each line. In order to achieve this, we focused on the production of diesel filters; a master's student at the company was designated to analyse various formative methods. Finally, we developed a decision-making simulator of the manufacturing parameters. The resultant software was implemented in Visual Basic and Excel, which allowed the integration of the tool in the company's work culture. The simulator was then tested with plant employees, observing the general improvement of knowledge about the production processes of diesel filters. Finally, it was implemented at the factory. We realised that time reduction on technical and on organizational losses led to an increase in the productivity.

keywords

  • decision-making; simulator; employee training; manufacturing; filters